Renaissance Bronze Horse Reborn: Padua Restores Donatello’s

Padua, Italy, 2025—Conservationists have launched a three-year restoration project for Donatello’s Gattamelata, a masterpiece of Renaissance equestrian statue. The 15th-century bronze horse statue suffers from "bronze disease" (caused by cuprous chloride corrosion) and structural instability in its legs, threatening its long-term preservation.

The restoration team, collaborating with Padua University’s materials science lab, is using nanoscale corrosion inhibitors—an innovative alternative to traditional chemical cleaning, which risks damaging the statue’s surface. A 360-degree digital scan has mapped every rust spot, allowing precise treatment of cuprous chloride crystals. "We adhere to the ‘reversibility principle’—all treatments can be undone if future technologies offer better solutions," says Dr. Laura Rossi, lead conservator.

High-resolution copies of the statue’s original 1453 casting drawings are now available on Padua University’s digital archive, offering new insights into Donatello’s craftsmanship.

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